Support Programmes

The provision of Support Rehabilitative Activities to offenders in the NCS is premised upon several considerations;

To be in line with the Risk principle that states that the intensity of services given to offenders must be proportionate to the level of risk t they pose. So intensive intervention in the mould of Structured Core Programmes are reserved for higher risk offenders while less intensive services (Support Rehabilitative Activities) should suffice for lower risk offenders.

To be in line with the Responsivity Principle that dictates that treatment interventions should consider treatment motivation, age, individual learning styles of offenders, culture and various barriers to participation. Thus offenders who may not be in a position to gainfully participate in Structured Core Programmes due to factors such as unsatisfactory English proficiency or cognitive ability managed by ways and Support Rehabilitative Activities are pegged at lower levels of cognitive sophistication.

Offenders who are serving long sentences may be offered Support Rehabilitative Activities early in their sentence before they become eligible for Structured Core Programmes to start working early on their areas of need. In this regard support programmes are used to prime offenders for subsequent more intense Structured Core Programmes

Support Rehabilitation Activities can also be offered after completion of Structured Core Programmes in instances where evaluation of programme outcomes indicate the need for follow-through interventions to consolidate the learning gains achieved in Structured Core Programmes.

TYPES OF SUPPORT REHABILITATIVE ACTIVITIES

The NCS provides three types of Support Rehabilitation Activities, namely Needs Orientated Treatment Activities, Voluntary Sector Sponsored Support Activities and Self-help and other Offender Support Initiatives

Needs Oriented Treatment Activities

These activities are given to address specific offender needs that are however not intense enough or not appropriate at the point in time to address through Structured Core Programmes. These activities target issues such as adjustment to prison conditions, idleness and boredom, frustration and anger and motivation to change.

Voluntary Sector Sponsored Support Activities

These are rehabilitation activities that offered to offenders by reputable external stakeholders and partners to offenders in instances where the NCS lacks the requisite capacity or its internal resources are strained. Faith-based and non-governmental organizations fall under this category. The NCS believes in involving external sectors because they play a vital role in the overall rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

A stringent set of criteria is applied in selecting external partners to ensure that they indeed possess the appropriate levels of capacity to offer rehabilitative activities in an effective, ethical, inclusive and sustainable manner.

Self-help and other Offender Support Initiatives

The NCS encourage and support initiatives by offenders to help and support each other in their reformation journey. These offender-initiated activities provide offenders with opportunities to practise and assimilate pro-social behaviours. Offender study groups, prayer groups, HIV/AIDS support groups and Alcohol and Drug abuse cessation support groups fall under this category.